Safe room assembly

ABSTRACT

A safe room assembly includes a room having a plurality of walls forming an enclosed area. A locking mechanism completely disposed within one of the plurality of walls secures to an anchor associated with a platform that the room sits thereupon. An entrance provides access to the enclosed area.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present application relates generally to safe rooms, and morespecifically, to a safe room configured to protect persons and propertyagainst dangerous weather conditions.

2. Description of Related Art

Conventional safe rooms and/or shelters are well known in the art foreffectively protecting persons and property from dangerous stormconditions such as hurricanes and tornadoes, which can reach wind speedsover 250 mph and are capable of staying on the ground for over one hour.The dangerous weather conditions can easily cause mass destruction withflying debris, resulting in significant damage to property, and in somecases, physical injury. Thus, homeowners who choose not or cannotevacuate their homes during the extreme weather conditions are forced totake cover in a protected area of the home. It should be understood thatthe homes provide relatively little protection, which are typically notconstructed to withstand tornado or hurricane weather conditions. Assuch, there is a need for each home to have a safe room that canwithstand the extreme weather conditions.

Safe rooms are typically buried underground to further increase safety.These types of shelters have limitations, including the manufacturingcost and risk of being trapped underground with overhead debris blockingaccess. Further, the underground structures are typically not accessibleto the handicapped and elderly. Also, some properties are not wellsuited for underground construction. As a result, the safe rooms areconfigured for aboveground placement. However, the underground saferooms are cost prohibitive to most families, thereby making these typesof shelters ineffective.

Although the foregoing developments in shelters represent great strides,many shortcomings remain.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the embodiments of thepresent application are set forth in the appended claims. However, theembodiments themselves, as well as a preferred mode of use, and furtherobjectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by referenceto the following detailed description when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a safe room according to a preferredembodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the safe room assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the safe room assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the safe room assembly taken atIV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is bottom view of the safe room assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is FIG. 4 with room accessories;

FIGS. 7A-D are cross-sectional views of the anchoring devices associatedwith a locking mechanism of the safe room assembly of FIG. 1.

While the safe room assembly and method of manufacturing and use issusceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specificembodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawingsand are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however,that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended tolimit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on thecontrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, andalternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of thepresent application as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the safe room assembly are provided below.It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any actualembodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions will be made toachieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which will vary fromone implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated thatsuch a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in theart having the benefit of this disclosure.

The safe room assembly of the present application overcomes theabove-listed problems commonly associated with conventional safe roomsand/or shelters. Specifically, the safe room assembly is configured foraboveground placement on a platform and secured thereto via a pluralityof locking mechanisms. The safe room is manufactured as a singleintegral structure, preferably via a casting manufacturing process.During the manufacturing process, an electrical system is completelydisposed within the walls, thereby providing electrical access to one ormore utility systems disposed within the safe room. The simplicity ofdesign allows for reduced costs and allows for easily and rapidinstallation. These and other unique features of safe room assembly arediscussed below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The safe room assembly and method of manufacturing and use will beunderstood, both as to its structure and operation, from theaccompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdescription. Several embodiments of the safe room are presented herein.It should be understood that various components, parts, and features ofthe different embodiments may be combined together and/or interchangedwith one another, all of which are within the scope of the presentapplication, even though not all variations and particular embodimentsare shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the mixingand matching of features, elements, and/or functions between variousembodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinaryskill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that thefeatures, elements, and/or functions of one embodiment may beincorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless describedotherwise.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters identifycorresponding or similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS.1-5 depict various views of a safe room assembly 101 in accordance witha preferred embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 1 shows an oblique view of safe room assembly 101 preferablycomprising one or more of a room 103 configured to securely rest on atop surface 107 of a platform 105. In the preferred embodiment, room 103is preferably positioned aboveground, while platform 105, e.g., aconcrete slab, is buried at least partially below ground level. Aplurality of anchors 109 (for viewing simplicity, only one fastener isidentified; however, all anchors share the same characteristics) areutilized to secure room 103 to platform 105.

One unique feature believed characteristic of assembly 101 is the easeof manufacturing, which preferably includes the process of casting theroom with a die (not shown), transporting the casted room to adesignated location, and then securing the room to the platform. Therelatively simple process of manufacturing and installing assembly 101provides significant advantages, namely, the costs to own and operateassembly 101 is minimal, thereby allowing the majority of homeowners theoption to purchase safe room assembly for their home.

In the contemplated embodiment, room 103 preferably includes one or moreof four walls and a roof. Specifically, two side walls 111, 113 areintegrally joined together by a front wall 115 and a back wall 117. Aroof 119 is also integrally joined to the four walls to create a singleroom with integral walls. It will be appreciated that alternativeembodiments could include rooms with different shapes, e.g., cylindricalrooms and additional walls, e.g., five walls in lieu of the preferredembodiment.

Another unique feature believed characteristic of room 103 is having allfour side walls and the roof as an integral structure; whereas,conventional rooms are manufactured having two or more members, whichare joined together when assembled. These rooms result in a structurallyweaker design than the contemplated safe room.

Room 103 is manufactured with sufficiently durable material to retainstructural integrity for compensation against extreme weatherconditions. In the preferred embodiment, room 103 is manufactured with ahigh-strength concrete that is preferably reinforced with rebar disposedwithin one or more of the walls and/or roof. The concrete material andrebar are readily available materials and relatively easy to use duringthe manufacturing and assembly process. Alternative embodiments couldutilize additional materials, e.g., bricks that are also cast with theconcrete. It is contemplated forming room 103 through a castingmanufacturing process, e.g., pouring the concrete within a die cast andthereafter removing the casted material upon the concrete curing.Alternative embodiments could include differently materials sharing oneor more of the same characteristics of concrete and rebar.

Front wall 115 forms an entrance 121 preferably manufactured at anon-central location on wall 115, e.g., near the right or left side ofwall 115. Entrance 121 has a sufficient height for ingress and egress.It will be appreciated that alternative embodiments could include one ormore entrances or openings in lieu of a single entrance.

During assembly, room 103 is placed on platform 105 and is securely heldthereto via the plurality of anchors 109. This assembly process isfurther discussed below with reference to FIGS. 7A-7C.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2, a front view of room 103 is shown.Assembly 101 is further optionally provided with an electrical system201 (shown with phantom lines) configured to provide electrical energyto one or more devices disposed within room 103. System 201 preferablyincludes one or more of an electrical conduit 203 operably associated toan electric box 205, which in turn can serve as an outlet box for anelectrical device 204. Conduit 203 could be utilized as means forchanneling, for example, an electrical wire and is preferably disposedwithin front wall 115 and is exposed to the outside of room 103 forconnection with an electrical power supply (not shown), which could bethe utility company and/or a generator. Although shown extending throughwall 115, it will be appreciated that conduit 203 can also be disposedwithin and extend through other walls and/or the roof.

Another unique feature believed characteristic of safe roof assembly 101is the manufacturing process that includes the additional step ofdisposing electrical system 201 within the walls during the castingprocess. In particular, system 201 is placed within the die cast and theconcrete is poured therearound. Thus, system 201 becomes integral withthe solid walls, completely disposed therein. This feature providessignificant advantages, namely, having one or more conductors within thewalls reduces the possibility of electrical shock, fires, and damage—alllikely results in extreme weather conditions. As such, the walls serveas a protective barrier to the conductors.

It will also be appreciated that alternative embodiments could utilizesthe features of system 201, specifically, having one or more componentsdisposed within the wall during the casting process. For example, awater system could include a fluid conduit disposed within the wall forpassage of water from an outside source to the enclosed area of room103.

Referring specifically to FIG. 3, a top view of room 103 is shown. Room103 is further optionally provided with an opening 301 extending throughthe thickness of roof 119. In the contemplated embodiment, opening 301serves as an air vent, a lighting fixture, a possible escape area,and/or viewing means.

Although not shown, it will be appreciated that opening 301 and entrance121 could include doors and/or other structures that open and closeaccess to room 103.

In FIG. 6, a cross-sectional view is shown with optional roomaccessories. In the contemplated embodiment, assembly 101 is furtherprovided with a wall structure 601 that attaches to the side walls ofroom 103. For example, the exemplary embodiment utilizes a plurality ofsheets of drywall rigidly attached to wood studs, which in turn aresecured to the inner walls. It will be appreciated that the accessoriesprovide both aesthetic and utility means for persons required to spendlong durations within room 103.

Another unique feature believed characteristic of assembly 101 istapering the walls from a greater thickness near the roof, as indicatedby point “A”, to a lesser thickness near a bottom surface 600 that restson platform 105, as indicated by point “B”. As depicted, wall 113 has agreater thickness “T1” at point “A”, than thickness “T2” at point “B.”Although shown as a linear tapering, it is also contemplated having thewall gradually taper in non-linear fashion. It has been found that aminimal tapering angle “A1” of approximately 2.5 degrees is optimal foreffectively removing room 103 from the die cast while also retainingsufficient structural integrity against severe weather conditions. Thetapering of the walls allows the room to easily slide out of the castingdies during the manufacturing process, and also, the tapering forms agap 603, indicated by thickness “T3”, which is commonly referred to as amechanical chase, between structure 601 and the inner surface 605 ofwall 111.

Assembly 101 is further optionally provided with one or more of autility system 607 disposed within room 103. As shown, gap 603 providespassage for a conduit 609 or conductor, e.g., electrical wire operablyassociated with an electrical device 611. In one exemplary embodiment,room 103 could house a utility system such as a toilet in fluidcommunication with a conduit passing through gap 603. Other utilitysystems are also contemplated such as a stove in gaseous communicationwith a gas conduit passing through gap 603.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7D in the drawings, front partialcross-sectional views of assembly 101 are shown. In the contemplatedembodiment, room 103 is configured to be securely attached to platform105 via a plurality of anchors 109 embedded within platform 105 andconfigured to extend partially outside surface 107. In the contemplatedembodiment, anchor 109 is a metal rod, e.g., rebar that engages with alocking mechanism 701 disposed within the walls of the room. Lockingmechanism 701 includes a housing 703 in communication with two passages:passage 705 and 707. A optional rod 709 disposed within the wall isconfigured to attach to housing 703 and is configured to retain housing703 in a fixed position, while also adding additional support andrigidity to the walls of room 103.

In FIG. 7B, the side wall is positioned on surface 107 and anchor 109slides within housing 703. Thereafter, a sealing material such as groutor concrete enters into housing 703 via passage 705 and the excessivesealing material exits through passage 707. This feature ensures thathousing 703 is completely filled with the sealing material. The sealingmaterial is configured to thereafter retain anchor 109 within the innercavity of housing 703.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as theembodiments may be modified and practiced in different but equivalentmanners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of theteachings herein. It is therefore evident that the particularembodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified, and all suchvariations are considered within the scope and spirit of theapplication. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forthin the description. Although the present embodiments are shown above,they are not limited to just these embodiments, but are amenable tovarious changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof.

1. A safe room assembly, comprising: a room, having: a first sidewalland a second opposing sidewall; a front wall and an opposing back wall;wherein the first sidewall, the second sidewall, the front wall, and theback wall are integral with each other and form an enclosed area; a wallstructure disposed within the enclosed area and attached to the firstsidewall; a gap between the wall structure and the first sidewall; and aconduit configured to extend through the first wall, extend within thegap, and pass through the wall structure; a locking mechanism completelydisposed within the first sidewall; and an entrance providing access tothe enclosed area; and a platform, having: a top surface; and an anchorpartially disposed within a thickness of the platform and extendingthrough the top surface; wherein the locking mechanism is configured toengage and secure to the anchor.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, furthercomprising: an electrical system configured to provide electricity froma power source positioned outside the room to an electrical devicepositioned within the enclosed area.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, theelectrical system, having: an electrical outlet box attached to an innersurface of the front wall; and an electrical conductor disposed withinthe front wall and extending from the roof.
 4. The assembly of claim 1,further comprising: an electrical conductor disposed within a solid wallof the room.
 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a thickness of thefirst sidewall tapers.
 6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the firstsidewall gradually tapers an entire length of the first sidewall.
 7. Theassembly of claim 6, wherein the tapering is linear with a slope greaterthan about 2.5 degrees.
 8. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:a wall structure disposed within the enclosed area and attached to thefirst sidewall.
 9. (canceled)
 10. (canceled)
 11. The assembly of claim1, further comprising: an opening passing through a thickness of a roof.12. The assembly of claim 1, the locking mechanism comprising: a housingconfigured to receive and interlock with the anchor.
 13. The assembly ofclaim 12, wherein the housing is completely disposed within the firstsidewall.
 14. The assembly of claim 12, the locking mechanism furthercomprising: a first passage extending partially through a thickness ofthe first sidewall and in communication with the housing; a secondpassage extending partially through the thickness of the first sidewalland in communication with the housing. 15-20. (canceled)